Co-written with Brannon Mahaley
Multimedia by Kevin McNamara
Members of the WCU school board officially breaking ground for the Apodaca building.
The crowd buzzed with anticipation on a windy Friday afternoon in Cullowhee, NC in readiness for the ceremony to begin.
Politicians, department heads, the chancellor, deans, professors and students alike packed the small space between the Hunter Library and the existing Natural Sciences Building to bear witness to the ground breaking for the new Apodaca Science Building on March 2.
Nearly 200 guests crowded under and around the tents to listen to the guest speakers for the afternoon. This included the Tom Apodaca, Chief Financial Officer of Access Computers, Inc., WCU Board of Trustee chair Patricia Kaemmerling, President of the UNC System Margaret Spellings and the Dean of Western Carolina’s College of Arts and Sciences Richard Starnes.
The inspiration behind the name of this new addition to campus is the former North Carolina state senator Tom Apodaca. The $110 million facility, made possible by a statewide $2 billion Connect NC bond referendum, will replace the existing 1970s era structure with a more modern learning facility that will include six stories of laboratory, classroom, assembly and office space.
Spellings called Apodaca’s relationship with WCU a model of the lasting alliance that every university seeks to establish with its students.
Architectural rendering provided by Lord Aeck Sargent.
“Growing up in North Carolina, you went to Cullowhee, forged a deep bond with your school, then stayed in the region and launched a highly successful career creating companies, serving the state, and ultimately succeeding at the highest levels of state government,” said Spelling looking toward Apodaca. “And at every step along the way you gave back to your alma mater.”
While the guest speakers addressed the audience, students could be heard in the background chanting in a #WheeMatter protest. Regardless, Apodaca delivered a comical take on his relationship with Western.
“No one loves Cullowhee more than I do,” said Apodaca during his speech. “I am excited for the future of Western. I think the future is tremendously bright.”
The construction for the Tom Apodaca Science Building is set to begin in mid-2018 and is destined to be opened by June 2021. Further clean up and demolition of the former science building will be completed by November 2021.
For more images on the ceremony click here
Tom Apodaca’s full speech from the ceremony.
